Qantas to cut flights to Asia

Sydney -- Qantas, the largest Australian airline, announced Friday it is cutting some of its flights to Tokyo and other Asian destinations.

The schedule changes come a week after Qantas announced the elimination of some domestic flights, the Melbourne Herald Sun reported. Chief Executive Geoff Dixon said the flights would be dropped beginning Sept. 1.

Qantas also plans to eliminate a pilots' center in Cairns on the northern coast of Queensland.

The U.S. investment bank JP Morgan warned another Australian airline, Virgin Blue, that it must raise fares 5 percent this year and 5 percent next year to avoid financial collapse. The airline, part of Richard Branson's Virgin Group, is a discount carrier and second only to Qantas in Australia.

Australian airlines, like others around the world, are struggling with high fuel prices.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.